Chapter 1: Overpowered Beyond Belief

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Chapter 1: Overclocked Talent

"The guild's examination is scheduled for 10 a.m. on June 1st, on the third floor of the Hengcheng Actors' Guild..."

In his inbox, Chen Ping received a notification about the upcoming actor's art exam.

He packed his things, preparing to head to the Hengcheng Actors' Guild early the next morning.

The actor's art exam was, after all, a highlight of the Hengcheng Actors' Guild.

To give everyone a fair chance, the Hengcheng Actors' Guild had launched this open examination.

Unlike other schools, which only accepted students from within their own programs, the Hengcheng Actors' Guild's exam had no restrictions—no matter your background, age, or alma mater, anyone could sign up.

Once you passed, you would receive the Hengcheng Art Qualification Certificate.

Because of the guild’s golden reputation, the certificate carried significant weight in the industry.

As a result, the exam attracted countless people from the entertainment world, including hundreds of thousands of extras.

But there was a catch.

While anyone could participate, the exam was notoriously rigorous.

Forget extras—even graduates from prestigious academies, even some celebrities, couldn't guarantee success.

Chen Ping himself was an extra.

He had already passed the written portion of the exam; now came the all-important interview.

But Chen Ping was confident.

He had acquired an Actor System.

And he had activated a special feature within the system: Overclock.

Much like overclocking a computer, this function greatly boosted his capabilities.

Once Overclock was enabled, he would transform into an all-around actor, consuming one thousand popularity points every ten minutes.

...

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The next day, Chen Ping rose early.

After breakfast, he made his way to the third floor of the Actors' Guild.

The place was already packed with candidates from all over the country.

Seeing that there were no seats left, Chen Ping simply found an empty spot to stand.

“Hey, are you here for the exam too?” someone asked beside him.

Chen Ping turned to see a few decent-looking candidates greeting him.

He nodded lightly.

“Me too. Damn, this Hengcheng exam is so hard. I graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy and failed twice.”

“If you graduated from there, why are you even taking this? You guys have all the resources and connections.”

“Well, that's true, but you know, the Hengcheng Art Qualification Certificate is like our own diploma—maybe even more valuable. We don't have to take it, but passing it proves our acting skills and opens up new opportunities for the future.”

“Fair point.”

“By the way, which academy did you graduate from?”

“Me? I didn’t attend any academy. I’m just an extra drifting around Hengcheng.”

Chen Ping answered truthfully, not thinking there was anything shameful about being an extra.

But upon hearing that, the others froze for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and moved away.

...

At 10 o’clock, the Hengcheng Art Qualification Exam officially began, with candidates entering the room in order.

Watching the candidates come out with pained expressions, everyone grew tense.

“Wow, that’s ten people in a row who didn’t pass.”

“This is brutal.”

“You’re telling me. I recognized that last guy—he’s from the Beijing Film Academy.”

“No way. If someone from there can’t pass, what chance do we have?”

The room buzzed with nervous chatter, but Chen Ping remained unfazed.

At 11 o’clock, it was finally his turn.

“Good morning, examiners. I’m candidate number 128, Chen Ping from Hengcheng, an extra actor…”

Five examiners sat before Chen Ping. Upon learning his background, they looked surprised.

In recent years, very few extras had signed up for this exam.

It wasn’t for lack of desire—just that even the art school graduates struggled to pass, so the odds for an extra were like winning the lottery.

Still, the guild treated everyone equally.

“Hello, Chen Ping. Here is a prose piece. You have five minutes to prepare. When time’s up, please recite it in standard Mandarin.”

The first round tested line delivery.

Chen Ping took the passage, glanced at it, and nodded, “I’m ready.”

“You’re ready?”

“Are you sure?” asked the chief examiner, Li Bo.

Li Bo had admired Chen Ping’s courage—few extras dared to take the test, and even if he didn’t pass, it was commendable.

But he hadn’t expected Chen Ping to begin so soon after barely glancing at the passage.

Though the test was about recitation, surely some preparation was needed to infuse the words with emotion.

Did the guy think reciting was just reading flatly?

“I’m sure,” Chen Ping replied seriously.

In truth, he had already memorized the entire passage.

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“Well then, go ahead.”

Li Bo sighed. He’d given Chen Ping fair warning.

If Chen Ping didn’t value the opportunity, so be it.

“A warm winter afternoon, I was strolling through the campus when suddenly a faint fragrance drifted by…”

As soon as Chen Ping began, his powerful voice instantly caught the attention of all five examiners.

His recitation was outstanding—not at all what one would expect from an extra, but more like a top student from a broadcasting department.

Only the best broadcasting students could achieve such clarity and precision.

But Chen Ping’s performance went beyond just articulation.

Had he only delivered the words clearly and without feeling, it would have sounded like a news report.

Yet, not only was his diction flawless, but every line was infused with deep emotion.

For a moment, Li Bo even wondered if Chen Ping himself had written the passage.

Otherwise, how could he express such genuine feeling?

“This kid is impressive.”

“Wait…”

“He isn’t looking at the page.”

Noticing that Chen Ping had set the page aside and was reciting without looking, all five examiners were stunned.

“Did he memorize it?”

“No way.”

“He only glanced at it once—did he memorize the whole thing?”

Chief examiner Li Bo could hardly believe it.

If he hadn’t picked out the passage himself that morning, he would have thought Chen Ping had read it beforehand.

“Excellent.”

When the recitation ended, Li Bo nodded in approval.

Chen Ping’s performance was flawless.

Still, Li Bo couldn’t help asking, “Chen Ping, have you read this piece before?”

“No.”

“Then how did you memorize it?”

“Maybe it’s just talent,” Chen Ping replied.

What else could he say? Admit he was cheating?

(End of chapter)